Zimbabwe: Assisted Voluntary Return Programme

Lord Avebury: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether they will ask the International Organisation for Migration to report on the welfare of the 29 asylum seekers from Zimbabwe who have accepted the organisation's assistance to be voluntarily repatriated since April 2003.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), which operates the assisted voluntary return programme on behalf of the Home Office, monitors all asylum seekers who take advantage of the programme where this is possible.
	Additionally wherever this is possible and following return, the services of the IOM continue to remain available to returnees in their country of origin for as long as they are required.

Police: Disciplinary Procedures

Lord Ouseley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Why policies and procedures relating to disciplinary action against police officers make it difficult for those charged with racially discriminatory behaviour to be dismissed.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The current Police (Conduct) Regulations 1999 have evolved from a requirement to protect persons holding the unique position of police officers. They are not employees, but are office holders and are exempt from most employment law, including being able to form unions, and to go on strike. Much of the system is therefore designed to protect officers from unfair dismissal. Officers require protection due to their particular status as they do not have access to employment tribunals (except in very limited circumstances) and are not covered by most employment law. Officers may also be subject to malicious and unsubstantiated allegations that require a thorough investigation.
	Racially discriminatory behaviour is a serious breach of the code of conduct governing a police officer's behaviour and, as with any other alleged breach of the code, any disciplinary action follows the procedures set out in those regulations.

Work Permits: Professional Sport

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What work permits have been issued to professional sportsmen and women from January 1997 to December 2003 inclusive.

Baroness Scotland of Asthal: Between 1 January 1997 and 30 September this year, 5,511 work permit applications for professional sportsmen and sportswomen were approved. These figures include all members of a group, extensions, changes of employment and supplementary employment. The figures for the final quarter of 2003 are not yet available.

Gulf War 1990–91: Vaccines

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	How many veterans of the 1990–91 Gulf conflict received only the first anthrax-pertussis injection; how many received the first and second; and how many the first, second and third.

Lord Bach: The specific information requested is not available. However, information on the uptake of vaccines during the 1990–91 Gulf Conflict is contained in Chapter 5 of the MoD paper, Implementation of the Immunisation Programme against Biological Warfare Agents for United Kingdom Forces During the Gulf Conflict 1990/1991 dated 20 January 2000. A copy of this paper is in the Library of the House. It is available on the internet at: www.mod.uk/issues/gulfwar/info/medical/bwa.htm and in hard copy as set out in my answer of 20 November 2003 (Official Report, col. WA 341).

Autism and Dyslexia

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What improvements there have been in meeting the special needs of children with autism since the first statutory provision specifically for them: and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs; and
	What improvements there have been in meeting the special needs of children with dyslexia since the first statutory provision specifically for them: and what assessment they have made of still unmet needs.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Education Act 1996 places duties on local education authorities (LEAs) and all LEA-maintained schools to identify, assess and make suitable provision to meet children's special educational needs (SEN), including the SEN of those with autism and dyslexia. In doing do, maintained schools and LEAs must have regard to the SEN code of practice, which gives practical guidance on identifying and meeting children's SEN, including difficulties in communication and interaction and cognition and learning.
	Provision for children with SEN has greatly improved over the years. Ofsted and the Audit Commission have reported that LEAs have "improved their SEN work significantly" in recent years (Local education authorities and school improvement 1996–2001. Ofsted 2002.) However, two reports from the Audit Commission in 2002 have pointed to continuing challenges in relation to the inequitable distribution of resources to meet children's SEN, the uneven quality of SEN provision across the country, the bureaucracy involved and the need for earlier intervention, among other concerns.
	The Government's forthcoming SEN strategy will address these issues, building on the improvements to the SEN framework brought about by the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 and the revised SEN code of practice (2001). The strategy's implementation will be helped by the new requirements on schools and LEAs to collect data by types of need, including autistic spectrum disorder and specific learning difficulties, including dyslexia. These data will assist schools and LEAs in identifying children with autism and planning provision to meet their needs.
	Education providers, in the statutory, voluntary and independent sectors, have responded to the increasing numbers of children being identified with autism, in part by opening specialist provision—the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Autism, for instance, noted that several LEAs had set up autism-specific units attached to moderate learning difficulty schools (The Rising Challenge. APPGA. 2001). The new SEN strategy will help all schools to meet these children's needs by promoting effective approaches to teaching and learning for children with autism as well as other types of need, such as dyslexia. It will seek to develop the role of special schools so that they work more closely with mainstream schools and specialist services to provide for children with SEN. For those with autism, action under the strategy will be consistent with the good practice guidance the Departments of Education and Skills and Health published in 2002 and the autism exemplar under the forthcoming National Service Framework for Children. The department continues to work closely with the National Autistic Society and other relevant groups to improve provision for children with autism.
	A range of guidance materials for teachers on dyslexia and dyscalculia has been produced as part of the national literacy and numeracy strategies to help to promote inclusion of pupils with specific learning difficulties. The guidance has been well received and other material is currently in preparation. The department continues to work closely with the British Dyslexia Association and the Dyslexia Institute to help to raise awareness and develop new resources that will be of practical assistance to teachers and other staff.

School Sport

Lord Moynihan: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the Department for Education and Skills' budget for school sport and physical education for each year since 1996–97; and
	What was the average time per week spent by pupils on physical education and school sport for each year since 1996–97; and
	What are the names and budgets of the physical education and school sports programmes run jointly by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills; and
	How many committees and sub-committees have been established for the physical education and school sports progammes run by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education and Skills; and what is their membership; and
	Which new school sport facilities have been built with funds from the New Opportunities Fund's £750 million Physical Education and Sport Programme; and
	What was (a) the budget allocated, (b) the amount awarded, and (c) the money spent by the New Opportunities Fund's £750 million Physical Education and Sport Programme.

Baroness Ashton of Upholland: The Government want physical education (PE) and school sport to be fun and attractive to all children. All children should spend at least two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport, within and beyond the curriculum. An ambitious but realistic public service agreement target—shared with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport—has been set to increase the percentage of 5 to 16 year-olds who do this to 75 per cent by 2006. The Departments for Education and Skills and for Culture, Media and Sport are working in partnership to implement a national PE, school sport and club links strategy to help to deliver the target. Over £1 billion is being invested by the Government to transform PE and school sport.
	The table below sets out the Department for Education and Skills' PE and school sport budget between 1996–97 and 2002–03 and the projected budget between 2003–04 and 2005–06.
	
		
			 Financial Year DfES PE and School Sport Budget 
			 1996–97 £0 
			 1997–98 £1.9 million 
			 1998–99 £3.6 million 
			 1999–2000 £4.8 million 
			 2000–01 £9.5 million 
			 2001–02 £14.6 million 
			 2002–03 £23.5 million 
			 2003–04 £46 million 
			 2004–05 £108 million 
			 2005–06 £155 million 
		
	
	Historically, the department has not collected data annually on the average time per week spent by pupils on physical education and school sport. Data collected during the autumn term 2002 suggested that about a third of schools at key stages 1, 3 and 4 and two-fifths of schools at key stage 2 offered their pupils two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week within and beyond the curriculum. Data are now being collected for the first time—for publication in April 2004—on the number of pupils who choose to take up this entitlement.
	The national PE, school sport and club links strategy brings together eight individual but interlinked work strands. The table below sets out details for each of the work strands and their budgets.
	
		
			 Work strand Budget 2003–04 to 2005–06 
			 Specialist Sports Colleges Programme £115 million 
			 School Sport Partnerships (formerly the School Sport Co-ordinator programme) £224 million (Total for all five work strands) 
			 PE and School Sport Professional Development Programme  
			 PE and Sport Gifted and Talented Programme  
			 QCA PE and School Sport Investigation  
			 Swimming Strategy  
			 Step Into Sport Programme £12 million (Includes £2 million from the Home Office) 
			 Club Links Programme £10 million 
		
	
	In addition, related work to enhance community club development (£60 million between 2003–04 and 2005–06), coaching (£28 million between 2003–04 and 2005–06) and the sporting playgrounds programme (£10 million between 2003–04 and 2004–05) is supporting the national strategy and the delivery of the sports public service agreement target.
	The PE, school sport and club links strategy is overseen by a delivery board and steering board. The table below sets out the organisations represented on the two boards.
	Delivery Board
	Department for Education and Skills
	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
	Department of Health
	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
	Youth Sport Trust
	Sport England
	Office for Standards in Education
	Steering Board
	Department for Education and Skills
	Department for Culture, Media and Sport
	Department of Health
	Department for Transport
	Office of the Deputy Prime Minister
	Qualifications and Curriculum Authority
	Youth Sport Trust
	Sport England
	Office for Standards in Education
	New Opportunities Fund
	English Federation of Disability Sport
	Primary and Secondary Head Teacher
	Representatives
	Local Government Association
	British Association of Advisors and Lecturers in
	Physical Education
	Physical Education Association of the United
	Kingdom
	British Sports Trust
	Women's Sports Foundation
	Sporting Equals
	County Sports Partnership Representative
	Rugby Football Union (Sport Governing Body
	Representative)
	Central Council for Physical Recreation
	I will write to the noble Lord to set out the management arrangements for each of the work strands within the national PE, school sport and club links strategy. A copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.
	To date, 631 grants—totalling just over £230 million—have been awarded under the New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme in the United Kingdom. All of the programme's funds must be committed by the end of 2005. In total, 32 projects, resulting from these grants, have been completed. We envisage the majority of projects will have been completed by 2006.
	The table below sets out a) the budget allocated, b) the amount awarded; and c) the money spent from the New Opportunities for PE and Sport programme.
	
		
			 Country Allocation Committed Funds Spend to Date 
			 England £581.25 million £183 million £4.6 million 
			 Scotland £86.25 million £40.5 million £3.5 million 
			 Wales £48.75 million £5.7 million £0.4 million 
			 North Ireland £33.75 million £1.5 million £0

IVF: Techniques and Research

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What is their response to the claim that some techniques, such as the freezing of embryos, and the practice of growing embryos in the test tube for extra days prior to transfer, have not been sufficiently tested in animals prior to their use in humans; and
	What is their response to the claim that the lack of laboratory research into in vitro fertilisation means scientists are experimenting on children.

Lord Warner: The provision of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) and storage of gametes (eggs and sperm) and embryos in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). No clinic can provide such services without a licence from the HFEA. Before any new treatment technique is permitted, the HFEA looks at evidence either from animal studies or clinical data from the technique where used in other countries. The HFEA would not issue a licence for a new treatment unless it was fully satisfied about the safety and efficacy of the treatment.

Vaccines: Unlicensed Use

Lord Morris of Manchester: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Where legal liability lies in cases where unlicensed use of vaccines is held to have damaged the health of the vaccinated person or to have constituted a significant health hazard.

Lord Warner: A doctor, to fulfil special needs, who orders or prescribes an unlicensed vaccine for use by his individual patients, or who orders or prescribes the use of a licensed vaccine outside the conditions of its marketing authorisation, does so on his/her direct personal responsibility. He/she may be liable if it were shown that the use of the product on the particular patient was negligent. In addition, the manufacturer may be liable if they are negligent in the manufacture of the product or the product was defective.
	The question of where legal liability lies where unlicensed use of vaccines is held to have damaged the health of the vaccinated person, or to have constituted a significant health hazard, will depend on the individual circumstances of the case and can ultimately be determined only by the courts.

Commission for Equality and Human Rights Task Force

Lord Lester of Herne Hill: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	Whether the task force set up to advise them on the governance and structure of the proposed Equality and Human Rights Commission will include a representative of the Commission of Racial Equality; and, if not, why not; and
	Whether the task force set up to advise them on the governance and structure of the proposed Equality and Human Rights Commission will include a representative of the interests of atheists and agnostics as well as adherents of religions; and, if not, why not; and
	Whether the task force set up to advise them on the governance and structure of the proposed Equality and Human Rights Commission will include a representative of the interests of gay and lesbian people; and, if not, why not.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Government announced the membership of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights Task Force on 11 December 2003. The membership includes a range of equalities and human rights interests, as well as representatives from business, the public sector and trade unions.
	The task force membership includes a representative from Stonewall, reflecting experience and expertise from the lesbian and gay communities, a representative from the British Humanist Association, reflecting the interests of those with non-religious or philosophical beliefs, and a representative from the Commission for Racial Equality.

Brucellosis

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of the second brucellosis case in Britain this year, what new measures they will be implementing; and
	Whether, in the light of the second brucellosis case in Britain this year, they will require all animals under 12 months-old to be blood-tested before importation; and
	Whether, in the light of the second brucellosis case in Britain this year, they will commission research on better methods of blood-testing and detection of the disease in pregnant cows.

Lord Whitty: Cattle may be imported into Great Britain from other regions of the European Union in accordance with harmonised EU rules for testing and certification. Animals coming from brucellosis-infected regions are tested for the disease before export to GB using blood tests precribed under the EU legislation. However it is known that the development of a serological response to brucella abortus can occasionally be delayed, particularly in heifers infected prior to their first calving. For this reason additional post import checks including a post calving test, are carried out on imported cattle as part of our national brucellosis surveillance programme. As an additional safeguard against the disease, farmers and importers are also required to notify all premature calvings and abortions in order for brucella investigations to be carried out.
	We consider that the current combination of EU rules and national rules to prevent the spread of brucellosis within the EU is sufficient to identify and control outbreaks of the disease but we are not complacent and are keeping the situation under review.
	Defra is also supporting a brucellosis research programme which includes research into the development of a more sensitive test to identify the presence of so-called "latent infection".

Sudden Oak Death Virus

Lord Rotherwick: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	In the light of "oak disease" being found in two more places in the south-west of England, what extra resources in the form of personnel and finance they have allotted to stop this disease.

Lord Whitty: In response to the increasing number of findings of Phytophthora ramorum, the Forestry Commission has redirected about 23 staff onto a woodland survey in England and Wales, to be completed by April 2004, which will help us to assess whether Phytophthora ramorum is present in the wider environment. Resource has also been redirected within the Forest Research Agency into projects that are designed to help us better understand the disease and the effect it might have.
	Defra's 75 Plant Health and Seeds Inspectors (PHSI) are already employed for around 20 per cent of their time on inspection and surveillance duties related to this disease. The plant health service will require just over 20 additional staff to cover the increased rate of inspections at production nurseries, wild planting areas and ports of entry, which was announced on 4 December. This is currently estimated to cost over £650,000 to the end of 2004–05. It is proposed that, wherever possible, suitably qualified field staff are transferred from elsewhere in the department. These will be supplemented by recruitment of a small number of staff with appropriate experience and qualifications (for example ex-PHSI staff). Transfer and recruitment will start in January.
	Defra is also funding a substantial increase in sample diagnoses undertaken by the Central Science Laboratory (CSL) which is estimated to cost in excess of £750,000 to the end of 2004–05. CSL is also involved in ongoing research into Phytophthora ramorum to the value of £370,000.

Railways: Platform Extensions

Lord Berkeley: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What are the passenger rail stations at which platform extensions are under way or planned within the next two years; and what is the estimated total cost of this work.

Lord Davies of Oldham: For England and Wales, it is understood that Network Rail has work under way at Hollingbourne, Harrietsham, Charing, and Nuneaton. At Hollingbourne, Harrietsham and Charing this has to date involved carrying out feasibility and outline design work. Estimated total cost of construction works for the three stations is £3.19 million. At Nuneaton, extension of an existing platform and the construction of an additional platform are scheduled to be carried out with an estimated total cost of between £3.5 million and £4 million.
	Work is planned at Sandal and Agbrigg, Wakefield Westgate, South Elmsall, Fitzwilliam, Braintree, Braintree Freeport, Cressing, White Notley, Harrow and Wealdstone, Bushey, Kings Langley, Apsley, Hemel Hempstead, Berkhamsted, Tring, Cheddington, Bletchley, Billingshurst, Portslade, West Norwood, Hampden Park, Lewes, Farnham, Virginia Water, Basingstoke, Ascot, Farncombe, Milford, Witley, Liphook, Liss, Petersfield, Bentley, Brockenhurst, Poole, Moreton, Lymington Town, Camberley, Abercynon North, Penrhiwceiber, Fernhill, Cwmbach, Aberdare, Lichfield Trent Valley, Hinckley, Narborough, South Wigston, Princes Risborough, Beaconsfield, Gerrards Cross, High Wycombe, West Ruislip, South Ruislip, Wembley Stadium and Denham. Final cost estimates for the works at these stations are not yet available.
	For Scotland, the Strategic Rail Authority and the Scottish Executive announced on 28 October, the go-ahead for the jointly funded Scottish Platform Extension Project. The 25 stations to benefit are Uphall, Livingston North, Bathgate, South Gyle, North Queensferry, Dalgety Bay, Aberdour, Kinghorn, Glenrothes, Cardenden, Lochgelly, Cowdenbeath, Dunfermline Queen Margaret, Rosyth, Bridge of Allan, Larbet, Camelon, Pollockshaws West, Thornliebank, Giffnock, Clarkston, Busby, Thortonhall, Hairmyres and East Kilbride. These extensions are planned to be completed by October 2004 with funding of £15.6 million, of which the SRA is providing £8.2 million and the Scottish Executive £7.4 million.

Government Publications

Lord Palmer: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What was the total cost over the last 12 months of publishing all government publications, excluding staff costs; how many of these publications were distributed freely; what was the average circulation of these publications; what, if any, revenues were raised by charging for any of these publications; and what were the equivalent figures for 1997.

Lord Bassam of Brighton: The information requested can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Government publications are produced in a variety of ways, with central arrangements for the production of statutory materials, Command Papers and the official gazettes managed by Her Majesty's Stationery Office. For other publications each department adopts its own methods for official publication and distribution. Many printed publications are made available free of charge but the majority are available at a charge to the end-user. Most publications are also available for download at no charge from government websites.
	Where departments arrange publication via commercial publishers the risks and direct costs of publication are generally met by the publisher with no direct costs for publication falling on the public purse. In some cases there may be a contractual revenue-sharing arrangement between a publisher and a department.